


Bloody clothes

by Skydancer8



Series: NCT One-shots [10]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Child Abuse, High School, Platonic Relationships, donghyuck and jisung are stepbrothers, honestly, mentions of overdose, sorry - Freeform, taeyong and mark are brothers, you gotta find the relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 05:25:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18243266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skydancer8/pseuds/Skydancer8
Summary: Mark had always resented Lee Donghyuck, a boy who seemed to have the perfect life. That was until he stopped going to school and rumor went around that they could hear screaming from his house.





	Bloody clothes

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by Aurore and the spaces between paragraphs are timeskips! Enjoy!
> 
> Also, trigger warning

_Wouldn't there be no sin if violence was used towards a child_

_with the reason of teaching?_

 

The church bells chimed, making the tired eyes of a boy by the name of Lee Donghyuck glance towards the sky. The distraction was only temporary, and he focused once more to his small leather bound book where he kept his thoughts. The sound was unwelcome, memories of the days past replaying in his mind. His eyes moved back to the window, now looking down at the open field where a tall muscular boy was running, eyes curved.

Lee Jeno, his brother. He watched the boy stop in his tracks, glancing up at the church bells before looking straight at him. He must have remembered the bitter memories that had long past. Memories no one spoke of, and was kept between them and their closest friends. Their eye contact lasted a second before Jeno looked away, hurrying towards his friends. Donghyuck looked back at his book disdainfully, hating him, hating Lee Jeno. Hating their parents.

 

_"FINE!!! I'll get the out of here but I'm taking Jeno with me!" their mother had screamed, a broken wine glass in her head, the spilled scarlet looking eerily like blood on the floor. Maybe it was, since Donghyuck could barely see anything from his place at the top of the stairs, where his angle enabled him to hide, yet see what was happening downstairs._

_Their father reared back, snarling in disgust. "Who are you to leave me with that devil of a child!"_

_"I gave birth to both, so it is my right to choose who I want!"_

_"You -***"- "_

_"-***- !!!Get out of my house!!!"_

 

He had scrambled into his room, curled up under his sheets while his older, fraternal twin Jeno, scooted next to him. They were separated a week after, though not many knew except perhaps their neighbors who could hear the commotion from the next house. It was a small city where you could meet everyone there in a span of a year, and rumors spread fast. An empty paper cup landed at the back of his head, making him grunt in shock before whipping around to look to look at a boy named Mark Lee, with all his Canadian glory, chuckling with his usual gang of friends at the back of his class. Another cup flew and made a land on his forehead.

"Ewww... Duck is writing in a diary~" came the jeer, an accusing finger pointed straight at him.

"He's a sissy~" Donghyuck slammed his book shut, huffing out loud before plastering an amused smile on his face. "Well, isn't Markie all grown up now? Deny it as much as you want, but I'm still twice the man you are! At least I can kick a ball straight!"

The mocking smile on Marks' face was pulled into a frown as the class started giggling and whispering about Mark Lee's poor skill in football, something very sensitive to him. Did Donghyuck do it just for fun? No. He was thin, scrawny, underfed, and his personality was the only defense he had. "You're dead, Duck! I mean it!" He's nothing compared to your Father, he's nothing-

 

 

 

"I swear he's annoying!" Mark ranted to his older brother, Taeyong as they sad on the said brothers bed. "He thinks he's so smart just because he skipped a class and got into mine-"

Taeyong made a dissatisfied sound. "Well, what did you do to him back?"

"I dumped a slushie on his head" Taeyong smacked Marks' head lightly. "What were you thinking? Stop bullying the kid"

"He has such a perfect life! It's not fair that we are here-" Mark broke off, burying his head in his hands, "Why does he get everything?"

The answer remained unanswered. "You should say sorry, Mark"

"I'm not sorry, never for him!" Mark stomped to his room, covering his ears with his pillow in order to shut off the sound of his parents arguing next door. Smart, Kind, Donghyuck, the trickster child who took the attention of teachers, who caused trouble yet manages to be unaffected by the punishment. Perfect Perfect Perfect-

"I hate you Lee Donghyuck" Mark mumbled into his pillow, his voice muffled. "You ungrateful-"

There was a soft tap on his shoulder and Jaemin looked down at him, his eyes shedding tears. Mark opened his arms to welcome the boy into his embrace, pulling the sheets of his bed over both of their bodies.

"It's okay, Nana" Mark said slowly, making sure the younger could see his lip movements. "They're not fighting because of you"

Jaemin shook his head, tapping his hearing aid. "Nana...no hear..."

"No! Nonono..." Mark hugged him tighter, the younger snuggling into his chest. "You're not the reason, trust me. You're way better than me, hearing impaired or not" Mark was grateful that Jaemin couldn't hear the voices of their parents, and hoped that the sight wouldn't permanently etch itself into Jaemins' memories.

 

 

 

"-***-!!!"

Donghyuck held Jisung close to his chest as they laid on Jisungs' bed. They shared a room every since both their parents got remarried with each other, making them stepbrothers. Only, ever since his new mother became aware of his persona, his place was in the storage room. The air was thick from smell of smoke that clung to the furniture. The sound of heavy footsteps on creaking wooden boards came closer and Donghyuck felt Jisung tremble in his grip. The younger had outgrown him ever since he reached puberty, but he was still a child.

"It's okay, Sungie. It's hyungs' fault, not yours." he whispered to the younger. The footsteps getting louder.

"Don't look back. Close your ears if you want but don't look at what's gonna happen" The door slammed open and the footsteps were coming closer. The wooden paddle (The one Dad uses on his boat trips) dragged against the floor and Donghyuck was pulled away from Jisung, the younger covering both ears with his hands as his father dragged Donghyuck down to the storage room.

"You Devil Spawn! YOU WASTE OF AIR AND SPACE! What did you do at school?!! WHAT DID YOU DO-?!!" Jisung tried to block the sound of the tool hitting flesh, the screams of pain that grew fainter with exhaustion every second. And Jisung prayed for the safety of his stepbrother who had been through such ordeals since the wedding. His smooth fingers grew coarse after days of forced housework until midnight, even his ribs became protruded after meals left aside during those punishment days.

Finally, his Father marched outside, holding the paddle (was that blood?) with one muscular arm and walking out of the storage room. Jisung slid off his bed and slowly made his way inside the small dusty room where Donghyuck slept. The boy was on the floor, tears welling up at the corner of his eyes and chestnut colored hair now a mess of tangles. His skin was already dirty from the dust and ash on the floor. His clothes were in tatters, fingers twitching against the floor, His legs were bruised up, large and purple and blue and black.

"Hyung, sleep on my bed tonight" Jisung whispered, helping the male up."Let's go"

"You might get in trouble" Donghyuck slurred and glanced at the yellowing mattress that was his bed. "Go to sleep, Sungie"

"But hyung-" "Go now, hyung will be alright here"

Jisung glanced at him tearfully before abiding to his wishes, running out the door and shutting it softly. Surely, he would be given the excuse to skip school the next day. Not in that condition, not in that state.

 

 

 

 

Taeyong watched Mark walk into the school building. It was still early and the only other person Taeyong could recognize was the mop of chestnut hair that was Donghyuck. The younger seemed to be limping, probably from playing football. Beside him was the child of the Park's, Park Jisung. The thought that Donghyuck was no longer living with Jeno suddenly occurred to him and he winced in sympathy. Only the adults truly knew about the divorce, the children were kept from this info in case of havoc in the school. It was hard enough for them.

There was a knock on his car window and the familiar face of Doyoung appeared, smiling his gummy smile. When the guy was settled in the car seat, they both watched Jeno laugh with his new buds as they made for the school field.

"So, his mother is staying with your family then?" Taeyong questioned, making the latter nod.

"Well, my mother is his mothers' sister anyway, and we take care of grandpa so it's better they stay with us rather than attempt to buy their own house."

Doyoung cast a forlorn look outside, "I heard that her ex-husband already remarried with the Park woman"

Taeyong sighed heavily and started the car, carefully driving away from the school. "He's taking it rather well, though...I'm not sure why Jeno's avoiding him" "Maybe he doesn't want to remember...some people are like that"

The proud mountains passed by, and Taeyong was vaguely reminded of his days running around the lawn of his family, now turned to concrete.

"I'm worried for Donghyuck, though. His father isn't the most patient of men." Doyoung admitted quietly. "Jisungs' mother has very strict ideologies, which explains why Jisung has a hard time communicating in the first place. But with someone with Donghyucks' personality...I have to admit that I am worried about him"

The sky was clouding over and a bunch of kids ran past them in a search of cover from the upcoming rain.

"Surely, they would be understanding that Donghyuck is a special child. He really is"

 

 

 

The classroom was chaotic as the teens raced to take as many color pencils as possible in order to complete their drawings of their parents.

"That's a really beautiful picture, Woon, really realistic! You have five more minutes, and you're looking great!" praises fell from Mrs Songs' lips as she watched the 15 year olds let out their stress through coloring. That was what Art Class was for, anyway. She passed by many of them, chuckling at the cartoonish ones and nodding at the realistic ones.

Then, she came to a stop by Jisungs' drawing.

Jisung didn't talk much in class, and his only friend was Chenle, a boisterous kid with a loud voice who laughed like a dolphin. Mrs Song was aware of his family background, fatherless with a strict mother, and hoped that that kind of childhood didn't affect his linguistic skills.

Now that he had joined Donghyucks' family, surely he could be more talkative. She looked down at his drawing.

"Jisung...I told you to draw your parents" she explained softly. "Not monsters."

"These are my parents" he replied in a monotone voice, making Chenle who was sitting next to him glance his way worriedly. "Father wields a metal stoker, it keeps the fire burning. It keeps the Devil in place. Mom smokes cigarettes, always in her rocking chair. It burns the evil away"

Mrs Song didn't know how to answer that. "He's into poetry, probably" Chenle laughed, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "He reads a lot of those kinds of books at home"

Mrs Songs' eyes lit up. "Truly? Then I guess it's alright then" She walked away, letting Jisung add red to the floor of his painting.

 

 

 

Donghyuck was slammed into his locker, his bruises amplifying the pain, making him wince.

"Oh look, Duck is being a sissy again!" Mark teased, jabbing Donghyucks' temple. "Can't be a man, can you?"

Water dripped steadily from the tips of his washed hair, dampening his PE clothes. "Piss off, would you?"

There was a chorus of whoops as the group shortened the distance between them and Hyuck. The victim wondered why it was always him getting into these kinds of situations. He was surrounded, and fists were pulled out from pockets, and then there was the clang of his back against unlocked locker doors.

"Ugly"

"Pathetic"

"Sissy!"

Donghyuck bit his lip until it bled, letting the impacts turn into numbness the way he always did when his Father beat him up. The last time he had fought back, he had to face the wrath of his Father, so it wouldn't make a difference if he was beaten up now. He was going to suffer one way or another, like a dead end.

"Never show your face to school again!"

 

 

 

"Hyuckie, stop" Donghyuck looked down at the firm hand grabbing his wrist. He was met with the intense eyes of his ex-brother, Lee Jeno.

The person who had forgotten he existed for the past week. What did he want now? "You look...different" came the statement, and Donghyuck couldn't do anything but stare at him helplessly. There were so many things he wanted to say, but it was all bottled up in fear of the reaction. Wasn't that what people always did? Blame the victim? He remembered when he had told his school counselor a few days ago.

 

_"I...I'm getting hit by my parents"_

_The man in front of him looked at him with disdain. "Considering the way you act, I wouldn't be surprised. Perhaps if you tried to change how you behave, and actually try to be good, maybe they won't be so physical."_

_"B-but...they use things that leave marks on my body"_

_"Which strengthens my statement. You have to understand that both were once married to someone else, and it is new. So, be good and don't get on their nerves."_

 

"Hyuckie...please talk to me" Jeno pleaded, eyes welling up with tears. "You look so thin and you aren't even walking right. I know something isn't right, Hyuck, tell me!"

Again, Donghyuck did nothing but look at him with those sad eyes, eyes that had felt agony beyond his years. He slipped his hand out of Jeno's hand and walked (limped) away, making his twin brother freeze, looking at him turn the corner. Without him noticing, tears had made their way down his cheeks. There was a feeling, something was going on, and he felt so helpless.

 

 

 

Jisung sat at the bottom of the stairs, a book in his hands entitled "The monster boy". He could hear Donghyuck sobbing, beaten up by his father(monster monster monster) and currently curled up on the cold cement. There was the soft sound of footsetps and his mother passed by, holding a heated stoker, the metal still glowing orange, towards Donghyuck. Jisung opened a page of his book and read aloud, mainly to himself.

 

_I remember the monster boy,_

_who's eyes always glittered gold,_

_he was called the monster boy,_

_he never did what he was told_

 

"Please, please , please-"

Jisung held in a sob at the sound of his stepbrother pleading, begging for them to not do it. The moon was full, looking down at them with a sympathetic glow. To Jisung, it seemed taunting, a silent voice asking him 'why are you so weak? why are you so weak?"

"Know that the hottest fire will be in Hell" came his mothers commanding voice, hard as steel. Jisung had heard the phrase many times, whenever he complained of the heat of the sun, or the scald from cooking. Never had he thought it would be used in this kind of situation. "Where the followers of the Devil go"

 

_Yet, he was the best of other boys,_

_He was the brightest sun ray,_

_But his eyes kept pain that was left unseen,_

_He felt the cane everyday._

 

"Please, please don't-"

Jisung closed his ears at the sound of Donghyucks' scream. It pierced through the air like a siren, hoarse due to the lack of water, and terrible, so terrible. It reminded him of the sound that one woman made when she found her child drowned in the lake. It was as if the soul was being ripped from the body. (monster monster monster monsters monsters monsters) When he continued reading, his voice was shaking so bad that his words came out barely audible.

 

_Said monster boys soul reached the sky,_

_The one mercy his body could allow,_

_And all mourned the monster boy,_

_So who is the monster now?_

 

 

 

 

"They heard screams from his house" Johnny, Doyoungs' friend who was a social worker, said. "When they went to the door, the father said that they were busy and that Donghyuck had scalded himself at the fireplace"

"That could be a possibility" Doyoung admitted, sipping his tea. "But, surely, they would have suspected something if they told it to you" Johnny nodded and let out a long sigh. His hair was still messy from the many times he ruffled it out of frustration. "The screams went on for a whole half an hour. They don't think someone who is burned would be in pain that long"

"So," Taeyong leaned forward. "They're suspecting child abuse"

"But we still have no concrete evidence" Johnny interjected, eyes glazed. "We can't do anything but wait for someone to witness it"

"Surely Jisung would have seen it" Doyoung suggested. "Why not ask him"

"He's not the type to talk under pressure" Taeyong argued, "Not by the way he was raised"

Little did they know that Jeno and Mark had their ears pressed against the door of the kitchen, eyes meeting each other. They backed away and slumped on Jenos' bed, letting the information sink in. Donghyuck hadn't come to school for a month, ever since Mark had bullied him in the changing room.

"Not Hyuck, not hyuck, not hyuck, not hyuck-"

 

 

 

 

"You should...g-go sleep in your bed...S-sungie"

Jisung shook his head defiantly, keeping himself secure in the arms of his hyung whos' chest was pressed against his back. They laid on the yellowing, stinking mattress that Donghyuck slept in every night in the storage room. Donghyuck hadn't taken a bath in weeks, and the smell was starting to rise, but Jisung didn't care. When he played with Donghyucks' fingers, he could feel the bumps of scabs and the cuts and burns. He knew that of he felt Donghyucks' arms, he would find the burns of the burning hot stoker and cigarettes against his melanin skin. Donghyuck sang a soft lullaby in his ear, though his voice was rough and hoarse.

 

_"This is where we are together, in the light we call home~_

_This is where we sleep, this is where the clouds are foam~_

_Now sleep my beautiful star, The star within the womb~_

_This is where we rest, This is where we call home~"_

 

 

 

 

"Has he dropped out?" Mark wondered as he glanced at Donghyucks' empty seat. "Or...was he still at home, waiting for the opportunity to be healthy enough to make it to school"

He packed his bag and made his way out od the class, waving off his gang of friends to walk home alone. He used the long route, passing by in front of Donghyucks' house where it seemed normal enough. Huffing in frustration, he ended up at the front door, fist raised to knock. That was, until he heard the sound of smashing glass and something heavy hitting the floor.

_"YOU ABOMINATION OF A CHILD!!! YOU SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN CONCEIVED!!! YOU-"_

Mark backed away, eyes wide and he broke into a run. He had to go home...no...he had to go to Doyoungs' house. They were Donghyucks' cousins, right? They would know what to do about it! His lungs were burning, hid head throbbing. It was nothing compared to the heat in his chest that repeated the same lines "HE MIGHT BE DEAD, HE MIGHT BE DEAD HE MIGHT BE DEAD-"

 

 

 

"Jisung, may I ask where your brother is?" Jisung looked up from his cup of cocoa drink, fear flashing in his eyes.

He had managed to persuade Jeno to bring him to Doyoungs' house right after school. Johnny was there, a clipboard in his hands and so was Chenle, who held his hand tightly.

"We know it's hard, but people have reported the sound of screaming" Johnny explained gently. "Have they ever hurt you?"

Jisung shook his head, staring down at his hands, There were still dried blood under his fingernails when he had wiped whatever that could be wiped from Donghyucks' body. He couldn't even trust his own parents, much less the people currently interviewing him. It reminded him of the movie The Silenced.

"Jisung, this is for Donghyuck" Taeyong said softly, taking his hands in his own. "We don't want Hyuck to get hurt"

 

_Hyuck Hyuck Hyuck Hyuck_

_Precious Brother Love Sun Sunshine Beautiful Laugh Pretty Trickster Funny Humorous_

_Hyuck Hyuck Hyuck Hyuck Hyuck_

 

"You can do it, Sungie" Chenle whispered in his ear. "You just have to tell us"

 

_Chenle Chenle_

_Good Good Can Trust Good Good Trust Friend Love? Friend Good Trust_

_Chenle Chenle_

 

 

"Why did you draw monsters, Sungie?" Chenle asked quietly. "Mrs Song wanted us to draw our parents, but why did you say that the monster were your parents?"

 

_Parents Parents Parents Parents Parents_

_Blood Hit Scream Devil Pray Paddle Stoker Fire Hurt Agony_

_Monster Monster Monster Monster Monster_

_Chenle Trust Chenle Trust Chenle Trust Good Friend Trust Good Good_

_Speak Jisung Chenle Friend Friend Friend_

_Hyuck Hurt Hyuck Monsters Hyuck Hyuck_

_Lee Donghyuck Hurt Brother Hurt_

_Monster Monster Hyuck Brother Monster Hurt_

_Hyuck Love Hyuck Love Hyuck_

_Love Brother_

_Save Brother_

 

The thin, small strand of thoughts had finally jumped to a conclusion, the final target, the final reasoning. It had summarized the mess of thoughts in his head and now he was at the end, the answer in bright green in front of his eyes. Save brother

"H-hyung-" Jisung stuttered and all eyes focused on him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke in a terrifyingly shaky voice. "Please save my brother"

The door slammed open and Mark appeared, sweaty and tearful. "Hyung...it's Hyuck"

 

 

 

That evening, Jisung came home late, ready with an excuse of the school's magazine photoshoot. However, when he opened the door, he only saw two things.

First, his brother on the floor, facedown, at the bottom of the stairs and two; monsters standing over him. There was blood on the stoker, blood on the cane. Donghyucks' blood. Jisung rushed forward and took his brother in his arms (thank God he's smaller than me but he's not eating so small) dragging him up the stairs and into the storage room. He flung him on the mattress, coughing at the smell. Donghyuck was breathing (wheezing wheezing) blood appearing on the mattress where his head lay. His eyes were open partway, mostly closed.

"Hyung? Hyung?" (Oh God, please save him!Please!) "Hang on a little longer! Help is coming and then you won't be in pain anymore!"

 

 

 

_9:00pm_

The door burst open and the Mrs Park and Pr Lee jumped at the sight of local authorities swarming in.

"Where's Donghyuck?" Johnny asked and the answer came in form of a swinging fist that Taeyong caught. His eyes were raging with fire.

"Where is my brother?" Jeno snarled behind him and glanced up the stairs. Taeyong, Doyoung and Taeil, a doctor, ran up the stairs while police held back the married couple. Mark exchanged glances with Jeno and they raced up the flight of stairs to the upper floor. They heard the sound of Jisung crying, and then they were faced with the old door of what seemed like an abandoned room. The moment it swung open, a disgusting smell met their noses and they coughed harshly. Jisung didn't even look their way as the grown ups (this is not for children, MARK!!!) made their way into the room.

"Save my brother, save my brother!" Jisung pleaded and Taeil stepped forward, checking his pulse (where is it where is it) and physical state (God, how long did he suffer), only to give a sympathetic look at them.

"I'm sorry, it's over"

Jisung let out a small wail alike and threw his body over Donghyucks' , crying into his cold neck. Mark gagged and ran for the toilet, Taeyong running after him. Jeno stumbled forward, holding the cold hand of his twin brother (why why why) and begging him to stay awake like the time he had overdosed.

"Jeno-yah, hey" Doyoung whispered and hugged his cousin from behind. "It's okay, he's free now. He's in a better place now"

Johnny looked away, picking up his mobile phone and ringing the social service. "Yeah...about that...we're too late so please call an ambu-"

Jeno ran his hand over the deep wounds, the dirty limbs of his dead brother, the bruises that overlapped like mold on the once melanin skin. Nothing was more heartbreaking when Donghyucks' biological mother came into the room and cupped her hands over her mouth in shock.

"My baby! My baby, Oh my God! My baby! My precious baby!"

It seemed as if Donghyuck received the love he should have gotten after he passed. The nights he curled up on the mattress, hoping that his mother would come and hug him tight like she used to do finally became a reality. As Mrs Lee brought the body of her dead son into her arms, Jeno and Jisung clung onto each other, crying and crying and sobbing and choking on their own tears.

Donghyuck was finally free of the pain.

 

 

 

**_REPORT BY JOHNNY SEO_ **

**_Name: Lee Donghyuck_ **

_Cause of Death: Internal Bleeding, Possible Exhaustion_

_Victim was found in a storage room, brought their by his stepbrother, Park Jisung._

_Critical wounds on his legs and torso, head injury seeming newer than other injuries,_

_possible reason of death, blow to the head by metal stoker_

_Severe burn marks at arms and ribs, underfed and dehydrated,_

_hygiene not maintained and possible sickness in lungs,_

_Victim had sought counseling at school but was dismissed,_

_bullied at school and told no one else,_

_Died at age 17,_

_May he rest on peace._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!! Hope you enjoyed it and be sure to comment!!!


End file.
